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NURS 201 - Chapter 7
Legal Dimensions of Nursing Practice
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Law | Standard or rule of conduct established and enforced by government |
| Public Law | Government is directly involved |
| Private Law | Civil law ; regulates relationships among people |
| Criminal Law | Concerns state and federal criminal statutes |
| Four Sources of Law | -Constitution (guides to legislative bodies) -Statutory law (enacted by legislative body; Nurse Practice Acts) -Administrative law (empowered by executives; Board of Nursing) -Common law (judiciary system reconciles controversies; malpractice) |
| Litigation | Process of bringing and trying lawsuit |
| Plaintiff | Person bringing the claim |
| Defendant | Person who the claim is being brought against |
| What is the most important law affecting your nursing practice? | Nurse Practice Acts |
| Accreditation | The process by which an educational program is evaluated and recognized as having met certain standards |
| Licensure | The process by which a state determines that a candidate meets certain minimum requirements to practice in the profession and grants a license to do so |
| Certification | The process by which a person who has met certain criteria established by a nongovernmental association is granted recognition in a specified practice area |
| Credentialing | Ways in which professional competence is ensured and maintained |
| Crime vs. Tort | -Crime: wrong AGAINST a person or the person's property as well as the public -Tort: a wrong committed BY a person that is against another person or that person's property |
| Examples of Crimes | -Misdemeanor -Felony |
| Examples of Torts | -Intentional (charged with assault) -Unintentional (negligence=not using Standards of Practice to help someone who is at fall risk ; malpractice=the term to describe the action of negligence) |
| Assault | Saying you are going to do something ; the THREAT |
| Battery | Actually doing what you said you would; the ACTION |
| False Imprisonment | -Voluntarily: cannot be held to stay in a care facility -Involuntarily: mentally ill person who will cause harm to themselves and others |
| HIPPA Rights (Patient Rights) | -To see and copy their health record -Update their health record -Request correction if any mistakes -Get a list of disclosures -Request restriction on certain uses or disclosures -Choice of how to receive health information |
| Negligence | Not using Standards of Practice ; failing to perform care for a client |
| Malpractice | The term to describe the action of negligence ; failing to perform (or performing) an act that causes harm to a client |